Running
by bazzer
Summary: He was doing something that they’d only spoken of in hushed whispers in the back of the class, he was running. Rietro. The last chapter is up!
1. Default Chapter

Pietro stared up at the mansion, though the steel fence, and at a certain window. It would take him a matter of seconds to get there, then he would say his goodbye, and he was gone. He was doing something that they'd only spoken of in hushed whispers in the back of the class, he was running. He knew he had to make this one farewell face-to-face. She wasn't someone you could very well leave a note for saying, 'Sorry toots, but I'm gone,' like he'd done to his 'family'. He already knew that they'd understand, or Lance would at least. But, not her. Well, he reasoned, she might understand why he was going, but not why he didn't talk to her. And besides that, he didn't want to leave her like that. He cared about her, and he'd curse the day she would shed a tear over him.  
  
Okay, what was the plan again? Oh yeah, go up there, wake her up, say goodbye, and leave. Piece of cake, right?  
  
He knew even before he started running that it wouldn't be that easy.  
  
His heart wouldn't let it.  
  
He reached her door in the amount of time it took normal people to snap their fingers, but for what seemed like the first time in his life; he hesitated to open the door. He knew deep down in his soul that if she asked him to stay, he would crumble and stay. However, he also knew that she wouldn't do that to him if he really wanted to go.  
  
He swallowed hard and pushed the door open. Her scent reached him first, a gentle mix of lavender and vanilla, and he chuckled to himself. Such a soft aroma to go with such a hard girl, the irony.  
  
He walked over to her bed and gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder. Just as he was going to nudge her awake, she shifted positions, and was now turned to face him. A small piece of snow-white hair fell into her eyes, and it happened.  
  
The incredible Pietro Maximoff lost his nerve.  
  
His knees buckled and his heart raced.  
  
How could he leave her? She was so beautiful, she was *his* beautiful. And he was going to throw it away?  
  
He cursed heavily under his breath, 'God I'm such a dumbfuck.'  
  
His hand went unconsciously to brush the hair from her closed eyes, but he caught himself just millimeters from her skin. He pulled it away and flew to her dresser; the top left drawer held all her gloves. He picked a pair of black leather ones, and quickly caught the time on her dresser, he'd been here for three minutes.  
  
Experience told him short, dark, and hairy would be here in at least five more minutes.  
  
Experience he sorely wished he didn't have.  
  
He remembered that night very well, she'd warned him, but he had just brushed it off, and said that he could handle anything, even Logan. She had laughed softly and asked whom he thought he was. He answered simply, Superman, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She had, of course, indulged him, telling him that Superman wasn't nearly as cute.  
  
Then *he* came in, and had it not been for Kitty waking up and falling through the floor, he was sure Logan would have easily cut off his limbs, and marred his perfect face.  
  
After that she'd been under extremely close observation and had double Danger Room Sessions for a month. It would have been worse, except Xavier had gotten in her mind and seen that all they'd done was talk about menial things, and as Rogue had pointed out, It not like could have done anything bad anyway.  
  
Pietro shook his head and cut his trip down memory lane short.  
  
He tucked all lose strands behind her ear, and lightly blew on her closed eyelids. They fluttered softly, while she batted blindly at him.  
  
"Go way, Pietro," she mumbled.  
  
"Wakey, wakey Sleeping Beauty, I need to talk to you," his voice was low and kind.  
  
She took in a deep breath, and sat up slowly with her sliver-haired companion's help.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"…"  
  
"Pietro?"  
  
His courage retreated at a speed not even he could catch.  
  
"Take a walk with me."  
  
If she was at all asleep earlier, then she was wide-awake now. "Walk? Pietro what's wrong?"  
  
His mouth hung agape like a fish out of water for a moment. "I'm leaving," he whispered.  
  
"Leavin'? Ta where?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Are ya comin' back?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Do ya know anythan'?"  
  
"I know I want you to come with me."  
  
"…"  
  
"Please."  
  
"Ah…Ah can't."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Do you…"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She left it at that, and Pietro thanked Gad and the angels that she didn't ask why.  
  
"Ah'll miss ya."  
  
"I'll miss you more."  
  
He could see the tears glistening in the moonlight.  
  
"Will you wait for me?"  
  
"Fa as long as Ah can."  
  
"Goodbye then," he stood to walk away.  
  
"No. Ah'll see ya later."  
  
He smiled, "Right, see you later."  
  
His hand was on the door and it was already halfway open. When he turned back to her, to find she was already up and coming toward him. He caught her with open arms and kissed the top of he hair.  
  
"Hey," she called into his shirt, "You're takin' mah gloves."  
  
He smiled, "Can I keep 'em?"  
  
"Ah guess."  
  
"You know why I have to go don't you?"  
  
She stepped back and nodded, "Take care of yourself?"  
  
"You too."  
  
"Hey Rogue?"  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"Ah love ya too."  
  
With that he turned and left, tears streaking from his crystal blue eyes.  
  
  
  
::Sniff, sniff:: So sad, I think I gonna cry.  
  
Pietro: But why'd I leave?!  
  
Rogue: Ya! Why'd he leave!?  
  
BAZ: Honestly I dunno. But he had to leave to make the fic.  
  
Pietro: But I don't wunna leave!  
  
BAZ: Don't worry Petey, you'll be back in the next chapter.  
  
Rogue: ::grumbling:: It bettah take place the next day.  
  
BAZ: Actually it takes place ten years later.  
  
Pietro & Rogue: WHAT!?  
  
BAZ: heh heh, Gotta go. 


	2. On the Plane

The man woke up slowly from his dream-filled sleep. A small smile etched perfectly on his handsome face. He checked his watch, had he only been asleep for an hour? That meant two more on the damned plane, and two of the flight attendants kept coming back and hitting on him. One was small and cute, with blond hair and blue eyes, she was nice to look at, as show by the rest of the male population of the plane. He, however, had more important people on his mind. The other was tall and well muscled, with black hair and brown eyes. And, well, he was beginning to freak Pietro out.

The first flight attendant, Stacey, came back and asked him if he wanted anything to drink, and when he ordered a glass of white wine, she smiled and went to go get one, not even bothering to ask if he was old enough. He was, of course, but at the age of twenty-five, it seemed that he'd grown to look much like the statues of Greek gods. Well muscled and handsome enough to be put on the cover of a magazine. It was a close-circuit one, created by a bunch of teens on the beach. Still, it made the sliver-haired man's ego a major boost. 

Not that it needed it, that is.

His ego had grown tenfold, and then some since he'd left ten years ago. Ten long, insufferable years without her by his side.

And now he was going back.

Had he been asked ten years ago if he'd go back for the reason he was, the answer would have been simple. He would've laughed in your face, given you a wedgie and run off. Long gone were his teacher torturing days, though he continued on with a steak of pure unpredictability and wild behavior. Now he was the teacher dedicated to pass on knowledge. More than that, he was going to teach at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Somehow Summers, or Principal Summers, had gotten a hold of his number and asked him to and teach. Becoming an X-man was always an option. _Please, _he'd said with a roll of his eyes. Then ole one-eye mentioned Rogue, and Pietro caved on one condition. Rogue couldn't know until he'd gotten there.

What would his friends think of him now?

He pulled the _Time_ magazine from the leather briefcase, which he'd placed earlier under his seat. She was on the front of it, though not as an important figure (even if she was extremely to him) or model (which she could have easily been). Instead, it was just a photo taken by a bystander. She was flying, Pietro had to look at it several times before he believed it, and punching the head off a robot at least fifty times her size. Luckily, her face wasn't showing or else her life outside the mansion was shot. The picture was under the title "Mutant: A Danger to Us All" and he'd almost burned it, except she was on the cover, and he'd not seen her since that night so long ago.

He sighed and looked at his watch, an hour and a half. Stacey came with his wine, and Pietro had taken it without a smile. He sighed and drug a hand through his hair. A thousand questions ran through his mind quicker than he could catch them all. What does she look like? Can she control her powers? And most importantly.

Did she wait for him? Even after so long?

__

God, I hope so.


	3. At the Airport

Kitty looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. A small, delicate hand smoothly brushed her stomach.

__

Dammit, she thought, then quickly covered her mouth as if she'd say it aloud. She grabbed her purse off the white counter top and pushed open the bathroom door. She nearly collided with a stout old man dragging a rolling suitcase behind him. She grunted and muttered something about rudeness before taking a seat in a plush red chair. 

She pulled a compact makeup container from her purse and reapplied her blush. Whoever the guy was, she wanted to look good. _Although_, she thought, _I really don't see a point_, as her hand again traveled to her belly.

Then another thought stuck her; she had no idea as to who she was to pick up. She was the preverbal welcome wagon, sent to pick up all new teacher recruits. Normally Scott sent her a large manila folder complete with anything and everything to know of the newbie. This time he simple told her '_You'll know him when you see him, believe me.'_

She rubbed her hand together anxiously and again checked her watch, the plane was already half-an-hour later, and she was getting impatient. 

"Attention, flight number 238 will be landing in five minutes. I repeat flight number 238 will be landing in five minutes."

Kitty pulled the ripped piece of paper from her purse, _flight 238, _as scrawled in neat handwriting.

__

Thank God.

She waited the five minutes, only returning to the bathroom once, and waited even more to see whom she'd recognize. She smiled as a couple was reunited in a loving embrace.

Then she saw him. 

The white-haired man. 

Pietro.

And her blood boiled.

hehehe

Cliffhanger, I know you hate me. Why is Kitty mad at Pietro? Why do I keep making references to her stomach? Why don't I update more often and with longer chapters?

I can answer the last one easily.

My muse is very temperamental; he gives me great ideas for new stories, but not new chaps. He's just mad because he hasn't shish-kabobed anyone just. And I'm beginning to like these small chapters.

If you didn't get it earlier, Rogue was on the cover of time fighting a Sentinel. If you don't know what a Sentinel is, go read an X-men Comic or watch the original cartoon.


	4. Another POV

Pietro stepped out of the plane, and immediately looked around. Slim had told him that Kitty would be picking him up, just that she _might_ look a little bit different.

__

I wonder what he meant by that.

He looked over the top of the other passenger's heads. He wasn't majorly tall, just enough to give him a slight advantage. Then he saw her, in a light yellow sun-dress, she was looking right at him, and she appeared to be really pissed. Then he noticed something a bit off, she was larger than she should be, and it hit him. 

Kitty Pryde was pregnant.

He approached with caution, and mumbled a weak 'hello.' 

You could almost see the steam coming out from her ears, "I can't believe you had the _audacity_ to come back," she hissed through clenched teeth.

He stared slack-jawed, "What did I do?" he screeched, causing several people around him to stare.

She grabbed his arm, suddenly becoming very self-conscience, and dragged him through the already thinning crowd.

"You don't have any more bags do you?"

Pietro clutched his briefcase closely to himself; a dark blue duffle bag found its place over his shoulder. "No," he squeaked.

"Good."

She pulled him forcefully through the airport, had Pietro not feared for his life then he would have easily picked her up and ran her to the car, but by the look on her face he didn't dare make a move that might upset her. She may have been small, but pregnant women could get very mean when given a reason to be.

She dragged him to the parking lot and stopped in front of a sleek black convertible.

__

"What do you mean 'What?'!" she screamed.

Pietro flinched and pulled his briefcase closer to himself, he was a bit confused until he realized that kitty was continuing their earlier conversation.

He was about to answer but Kitty cut him off, "You have **no **right to come back!" she began to pace.

"I-I-I I- I'm sorry," he piped.

She turned on him again, "You don't even know what for," she reprimanded.

Pietro licked his dry lips, and slowly, too slowly for him, he steeled his courage. "If this has again thing to do with Rogue, "Kitty cut him a sharp look and he knew he'd hit home, "she knows why I left, she understands."

The intangible woman heaved a heavy sigh, "I know," she muttered.

"Then why?"  


"Don't you know?" He shook his head. "You were the only one to make her cry, you made my best friend cry."

He gently, but urgently, grabbed her shoulders; "I have to know, Kitty I have to. Does she…does Rogue hate… is she mad at me too?"

She looked him strait in the eyes, and could have cried from all the pain and fear she saw, "No," she answered in a small voice, "No mater what we said, what we told her, she could never be angry with you."

Pietro released her, although he wanted to shake her, ask if Rogue waited, but he couldn't, he couldn't know, not now. "We should get going."

He nodded and got in the car. 

It was going to be a long ride home.

BAZ: (singing) I got it done, I got it done…

Muse: ya ya ya, just post it.

BAZ: My, you're pushy.

Muse: (getting angry) just get it up

BAZ: Why?

Muse: (scared) I think Pheonix is gunna hurt me.

Pietro: I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAZ: Ya, ya everyone loves you. Next chap, Pietro and Rogue meet again 

(hears a combined "FINALLY!")

BAZ: but…

(audible groans)

BAZ: won't be up for awhile.

Rogue & Pietro: WHAT?

Muse: PHOENIX DON'T KILL ME! IT'S NOT MY FAULT!

BAZ: relax, noone's blaming you. My softball season just started, I have diving practice, and I'm going to DC on Friday, so it'll be a while. Thanks.


	5. Meeting Again

Muse: (sits down)

BAZ: Come on, I have to get ready, and I need your help with a story.

Muse: I'm on strike.

BAZ: On strike? Why?

Muse: I feel I'm being abused, and I won't help you until Phoenix releases her muse.

BAZ: You do realize that the longer you don't help me the angrier the fans are going to get.

Muse: So?

BAZ: Dear, Phoenix is a fan, an avid one at that, and by not helping, you're endangering her muse, not to mention ME! 

Muse: (Thinking)

BAZ: (mutters) FINE I'll get ready by myself.

Muse: STOP!

BAZ: What?

Muse: Where are you going? We have a chapter to write.

BAZ: But…

Muse: SIT DOWN! And start typing.

BAZ: ABOUT WHAT?

Muse: Hold on I have a great idea…

Pietro was getting bored. No, he was _getting_ there, he _was_ there. And he had three postcards sent out by now. They'd been sitting in the car for over an hour, in totally silence. Although the car was pushing the speed limit, it was still to slow for him. Combined with the facts that Kitty would glare daggers at him every time he made a move for the radio, and that his eyes kept shifting to her full stomach.

__

I wonder who the father…

She sighed loudly, "Lance," she declared openly, making Pietro wonder if she'd picked up a bit of telepathy. "You know you're not as sly as you used to be."

"Damn," he muttered jokingly, causing Kitty to smile beside him.

"How far…"

"Along am I? Five months."

He drummed his fingers tunelessly on his briefcase, and then he noticed the wedding band on her right hand. The diamond wasn't overly done, yet it wasn't small either, just within Lance's price range, Pietro smiled. The band itself had beautiful engravings around it, Pietro knew that Lance hadn't picked out the ring.

Kitty saw it look, and unconsciously looked at it. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Pietro nodded, "Rogue picked it out, I was so worried when I saw them together, but I know why now."

He nodded again, Rogue always did have great taste, she picked him didn't she?

"How long have you been married?"

"Three years."

"Sorry I missed it."

"Lance tried calling, but you never picked up." She looked at him briefly, "Oh, Cerebro working again, don't worry we didn't tell Rogue. She told us a long time ago that she didn't want to hear any thing about you unless it was from you."

They sat in silence a bit longer, until Pietro could stand it no longer.

"So, is there some kind of speech I get to hear."

Kitty looked surprised, "You _want_ to hear it?" she asked as if questioning his sanity.

He shrugged, "Just skip over the parts I know."

"OK, that would be who we are and what we fight for. So, that would leave… oh ya." She took a deep breath and began. "Several years ago a huge riot broke out in a high school in Pennsylvania, targeting, you guessed it, mutants. The Professor realized that younger mutants weren't going to reveal themselves out of fear, unless they were given an environment that they could feel excepted in, and comfortable with their gifts. 

"So he added a few wings and turned the Institute in the 'The School for Gifted Youngster.'"

"Nice name," commented Pietro.

"I know, but bear with me. The students call it Mutant High. He took the original X-men, minus a few and turned them into the teachers."

"Teachers by day, crime fighters by night."

"And we grade papers in between."

Pietro laughed and Kitty continued, "Scott's the principal, and he answer to Ororo." 

"What happen to Xavier?"

"He's in Ireland. Oh ya, just because you're a teacher, doesn't mean you're an official X-men, so on and so forth."

Pietro nodded, "Got it. So do you know what subject I'll be teaching?"

"You'll probably be taking over Evan's History class."

Much to Kitty's surprise Pietro didn't even flinch hearing Evan's name, but instead asked, "What happened to him?"

"I'm not sure, me mentioned something about the 'X-Games' and making a team, I don't understand but the students thought it was pretty cool."

Pietro nodded once again, he seemed to be doing that a lot. Before he knew it, Kitty had pulled into the long driveway of the school. And, for what seemed like the first time since that night, Pietro lost his nerve.

BAZ: (Stands up)

Muse: WAIT! Where are you going?

BAZ: My hands hurt, and I need to pack!

Muse: You can do that later, we need to keep going.

BAZ: Why?

Muse: Because you promised the readers that Rogue and Pietro would see each other again in this chapter.

BAZ: I hate you.

Muse: I know, just sit down, and type up this…

Kitty guided Pietro though the halls and he was sure that they were lost. Up ahead Pietro watched what he guessed was a student press his face against a door, obviously eager to hear the conversation inside.

Kitty cleared her throat, and impatiently tapped her foot.

The young man gulped audibly and turned to face them, to Pietro's surprise the boy's face was a pale gray color and he seemed to have no nose and a thin black line for a mouth, his eyes were giant pools of sliver. He tugged nervously on the collar of his blue shirt. 

"Umm, hi, Mrs. Alvers."

"Sydney."

"Um, you're looking very, um, lovely today."

"Thank you, what are you doing here?"

Pietro blinked, no longer stood before him a teenage boy, but one that looked to be four years old.

"I was- I was- I was twalking in cwass, and-and-and da tweacher gwot mad."

"Roberto," Kitty sighed and shook her head.

Pietro blinked again and before him now stood what seemed to be a carbon copy of Sherlock Holmes.

"Great detective work, my dear." He blew gently on the pipe in his hand and smiled as several bubbles popped out the other end.

"Shape-shifter?" Pietro guessed.

"One of three, and by far the most annoying."

"Awwww," Sydney had returned to his original form, "Ya only say that cause you love…"  


A voice yelled out of the closed door, "Ya know damn strait that unfair, Scott!"

The door, now slightly ajar, had three eager ears pressed closely.

"Unfair?! How am _I_ being unfair? _You_ took four _students_ to an _Anti_-Mutant rally!"

"They were four _Seniors _Scott! Ah've been trainin' 'em for five years each! They know how tah take care of themselves."

"That's not the point, Rogue and you know it. What would've happened if you were found out? Huh? Are you willing to lay your life on the line and get students killing because of a mistake?"

"Now you seem tah miss the point, Scott. We're weren't found out, and I lay mah life on tha line almost every fuckin' day!"

"There's no need to get vulgar…"

"Stay out of this, Jean. This is between Rogue and Scott, not us."

"Thank you, Ororo."

"Rogue, how do you justify what you did?"

"They needed to see it. They needed to see humanity at its worst. All you give them is the butterflies and smiles of humanity, you tell them that we are to protect humans because deep down inside they are us and we are them. They need to see what, if they become X-men, they'll be protecting. Not only the good , but the bad too. When we started as X-men, we were given a chance to interact with normal people; they aren't given that choice. They needed to see it, Scott."

Scott had no reply, so Ororo had one for him. 

"I agree, just next time, Rogue, get permission."

"Remy agree dat dis is an interest'ing conversation. Jus' not one dat you should be lis'ening ta," a smooth male vice whispered from behind the three eavesdroppers.

They jumped visibly, and, thanks in part to Kitty's mutation, right though the door.

The four people in the room jumped themselves and stood to face the intruders. 

"Kitty, I see your back with the newest member of our work force," stated Ororo.

"Sydney!" yelled Scott, "I thought I told you to get back to class!"

"Hehe, right." He morphed himself into what looked like one of the three pigs, and sang his own version of "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf" as he skipped down the hall.

It took Rogue a moment to realize who was all in the room.

"P-Pietro?" she stuttered out.

"Chere, you know dis guy?"

"Of course Ah know him."

"It's good to see you again Roguey." He took a step toward her, but was stopped suddenly by the accented man. 

"Remy no know you, homme. Who you be?"  


"I'm Rouge's boyfriend."

"Dat's impossible, homme."

"How?"

"Remy be Chere's man."

Muse: YOU CAN'T END IT THERE!

BAZ: I'm tried, I need to pack, and I'm missing my show!

Muse: Fine, but if the readers are made, then it's your fault.

BAZ: Thanks for the support.

Muse: Anytime.


	6. On the Roof

Pietro turned the words over in his mind, _Remy be Chere's man._ Suddenly his mind was blank, as was the look on his face. He found himself unable to form a complete sentence, and the only thought that he really ever finished was, _who the hell _talks_ like that?! _

"I-me-go. Leave-me-go-to-me-leave-go," he stopped and shook his head, "Me-need-leave, Ineedtogo." With that he turned and sped out of the room.

Gambit smugly crossed his arms, and turned to look at Rogue. Who looked back with eyes of rage and her hands balled into fists at her side. Her lips moved quickly, Remy leaned in closer to hear what she was whispering.

"Ah will not kill him, Ah will not kill him." 

Remy's lips curved into a smirk, "Looks like de Speedster gonna get it."

"Smart ass Cajun," Scott muttered under his breath. Aloud he said, "Actually Gambit I believe she's referring to you."

But before the demonic-eyed man could ask Rogue, she'd already flown out the door after Pietro.

"Like good one idiot," Kitty yelled.

"What Remy do!?" he screeched in reply.

"I believe you might have hindered the only thing that has kept Rogue here," Ororo started.

"What dat supposed t' mean?"

"They only reason Rogue stayed at the Institute after college was because she was waiting for Pietro to come home," Scott explained. "In words you can understand. You never had a chance, and if you did, you just blew it."

"Like, totally!"

"And you might have seriously screwed up the only real relationship Rogue ever had," Jean finished, "or wanted."

"Let's hope she can talk to him." 

Rogue found knew precisely were to find Pietro. It was the same place she went she had something on her mind, the roof.

She got up there easily, and knew before she saw him exactly where he'd be, the tip of the west side of the building.

She gently sat down next to him, and he seemed to take no notice. He sighed and switched positions, so that he was now lying down, facing the clouds.

They stayed like that for a while, the silence hovering between comfortable and uncomfortable. Rogue watched as Bobby and Lance played each other in one-on-one, the students, who were supposed to be taking part in physical education, were betting on and cheering on their math and gym teacher.

"I knew it, ya know," Pietro whispered from his position next to her. She turned to face him and cocked her head in a silent question. "I knew every day for the past ten years that I should come back to you. I knew that if I waited to long, and I knew I did, that someone would take you from me. I knew I made you wait to long," he finished in a whisper.

"Why then? Why didn't ya come back."

"I was scared, Rogue." He flipped himself on his side so he was facing her, "I was so scared so I'd find out I'd lost you. At east when I was gone I could pretend that you were waiting, I couldn't come back because I really didn't want to know."

He looked at her for really the first time in ten years and she took his breath away. "You're gorgeous you know."

"So Ah've been told."

He shook his head, unable to hold her gaze. He averted his eyes toward Lance and Bobby when he felt soft leather gently grab his chin and forced him to look back at Rogue.

"Pietro, how well do you know me?" she asked, almost begging him to answer.

"Pretty well," he answered very confused.

"Then, why would you _ever_ think that Ah wouldn't wait for you?"

He grinned widely. "Youreallywaited?" his excitement adding speed to his speech.

She nodded slowly and he leaned in slowly closing his eyes. He felt her jerk and completely pull away. He became aware that she was wearing gloves. Realization set heavily on his shoulders.

"You still can't touch."


	7. Help

It'd only been a week since Pietro had join the Institute as a teacher and he'd already caught up with Rogue, they had started going out to the movies and dinners, much to the demise of Remy and several others. He'd even gotten a group of fans girls that huddled in the back of his class that giggled mercilessly when he would smile in that direction. He'd fallen into his rhythm of the day and was on his way to the dinning room for lunch. 

He whistled tunelessly down the empty hall when two hands reached through the wall. One found its way to his mouth, successfully stifling his voice, the other tugged on the front of his shirt. When he easily passed through the wall the hands let go.

"Jesus,Kitty,don't_do_that!"

Another hand clamped over his mouth. This one was large, hairy and, well, blue. It actually covered his entire face. 

"I must request, my swift-footed colleague, that you would refrain from yelling," came the highly intelligent voice of Dr. Henry McCoy.

Pietro flashed a thumbs-up sign, knowing that his voice would never carry. He was immediately released.

"Whatthehellwasthatfor?" he asked, more calmly than before. 

"You are hear to aid us in an experiment. If the experiment is successful then you would have aided in something quit extraordinary."

"Huh?"

"We, like, wanna help someone and we need your help."

"Oh, sure. But, who's 'we'," he asked scratching the back of his head.

"Myself," Hank gestured to Kitty, "The expecting young Katherine, and our resident mechanical genius, Forge." He motioned toward the shadows behind Pietro, and he wiped around the face Forge.

"Kay," he nodded, "who are we helping, and with what?"

Forge sighed, obviously not wanting the included Quicksilver in the mission, "Rogue and with her mutation."

"I'll do anything," he stated turning again to face Hank.

"You see, we've discovered that Rogue's power is based on a bio-electrical energy. Her brain sends this electricity through the nerve cells to the skin cells, when she touches it creates a direct link the other's brain, through the skin and nerve cells."

"During this connection," Forge continued, "Her brain, being the more dominant from being prepared for the transaction, opens a sort of link in which information and the such is passed." He stopped and looked at Pietro, who nodded showing he understood. 

"I've created a computer generated fabric that can pull all the energy this specific part of her brain generates and concentrate it on a small area of her body, therefore leaving the rest of it…" He spread his hands, not sure how to state it.

"Touchable," he stated, "But why do you need me?"

Kitty grinned, "Isn't that obvious? You're the guinea pig."


	8. The Gift

This Chapter is in total dedication to MizzMarvel and Randi M. Kosiewska-Short, who e-mailed, reviewed and talked to me on-line. Thanks guys.

And now what you've all been waiting for: The Gift.

Pietro was set. He had the gloves made of Forge's fabric and the speech and course of action he would take set out in his mind. 

Now all he needed was to find Rogue.

He zoomed around the house. In a matter of seconds, his search found nothing. This led him to only one possible conclusion.

Rogue was not in the house.

This deduction sent Pietro's search outdoors. Around the pool and though the massive yard gave Pietro a recurring feeling of failure. However, being Pietro Maximoff, meant not giving up. 

Especially to matters of Rogue.

This left her in one of two places, the sky, or the garage. He opted for the easier of the two to look for her. Luckily for him, she was in the garage, working on her "precious baby". The motorcycle Logan had bought her for her eighteenth birthday.

He would admit, though never aloud, that it was an amazing machine. Nothing like the Harleys Wolverine rode. This was a sleek black Ninja, with twin white and sliver lightning bolts on both side. The bolts were Rogue's doing.

Her back was to him, but he knew that she'd felt his presence. He leaned against the door frame, and watched her for a moment, "You know I never got the propose of that thing." 

She stood, still not facing him, and tilted her head just the slightest degree down and toward him. To any one else she had not moved, aside from standing, and was not listening. But Pietro was not just any one, and he'd be the first to tell you that.

"I mean you can fly." he walked behind her as he talked. He wrapped his hands around her waist, "You can run," and lightly placed his chin on her shoulder, her long hair creating a shield. Despite this being a common position between the two, Rogue still flinched slightly under his touch. He taught himself the ignore it, and continued to purr in her ear, "with me."

"Ah know," she whispered turning to face him, "but that's funner." She jolted her thumb backward over toward the bike. With her other hand she tapped his nose gently, leaving behind an oil spot.

She pulled away teasingly, and he wiped the oil away with the rag she threw at him.

"More fun," he corrected.

"Look if ya'll just came here to correct mah English, Ah already got Kitty and Scott just upstairs. Or if ya came down here ta commend mah bike, Ah got Ororo and Bobby jus down the hall. Hell, even Lance gets freaked when Ah don't wear a helmet. So unless ya have a special reason ta be down here, Ah ask that ya run your cute little butt away."

"Isn't me being here special enough?"

She rolled her eyes and pulled her oily gloves off, just before she could reach for her other pair, Pietro was in front of her.

"Actually I do have a reason for being here." He pulled a small rectangular box from his back pocket.

She raised a skeptical eye at him.

He ginned and winked, "happy birthday," he stated handing it to her. "I know it's not _technically_ your birthday, but I _did _miss ten of them. I think this makes up for it though."

"Un-huh." She opened the box. "Wow, Pietro, gloves."

His grinned widened, "Special gloves."

"Fingerless gloves," she realized pulling them from the box.

"Special gloves," he insisted.

"Pietro you know why Ah wear gloves, having, let alone wearing, _fingerless_ gloves would kind of deter that point, don't ya think?"

He shook his head, "special gloves."

She groaned and threw her hands up. "Pietro…"

"Spec…"

"Do you want me ta try 'em on? Will that shut you up?"

He nodded, "Spec…"

"Pietro."

She put the gloves on and they fit perfectly.

"Happy now?" but Pietro wasn't listening; he gently grabbed her normally covered wrists.

"Rogue."

She looked at him questioningly; he nodded his head down and her eyes followed. He flipped his hands over, revealing them tenderly holding her wrists.

Her bare wrists.

"How?"

He grinned, "special gloves."

"Oh."

Then he kissed her.


	9. The Proposal

I know, took me long enough.

~! ~! ~! ~! ~! ~! ~

Rogue's first and foremost reaction was to pull away, and she almost did. However, Pietro expected it, and gently pulled her back into himself. After he was completely sure, she was used to the new development he pulled away.

"Dammit," she muttered darkly under her breath.

Pietro was confused; this was not the reaction he had hoped for. "What?" he asked almost frantic.

"Ah knew it, Ah died didn't Ah."

Pietro almost laughed, "No," his smile broadened, "you were able to bypass that and go strait to heaven."

"And you're mah angel?"

"Ya, your special angel."

She grinned against his lips and kissed him again, which he whole-heartily returned. She pulled away this time, and he frowned. "Ah love you."

"And I love you, forever and ever." He quickly kissed her on the lips once more and pulled away. Reaching again into his back pocket. "I have one more thing."

"There's more?"

"Ya one thing, I've been thinking about this since forever, and now it's only proper."

He dropped to one knee and opened the small box in his hand. Inside was the most beautiful diamond engagement ring Rogue ever saw.

"Oh mah God," her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I have loved you since the beginning, and I know nothing in this world would make me happier, I hope the same goes for you. Rogue, will you marry me?"

"Pietro…"

"Please, Rogue I'm on a roll, don't stop me now," he stood.

"Are you sure?"  


"I've been planning this moment for over five years, the only thing I don't know is the kind of cake will be served at the wedding. No, wait," he held up a finger, "vanilla, with white icing, and strawberries, 'cause their your favorite."

"Ah don't know what to say."

"Just say yes."

She smiled; happy tears flowed from her eyes, "yes."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Kitty zealously fanned herself with her own hand, her joyous tears making it hard for her to breathe, she almost screamed out of bliss. Lance pulled her from the doorway, out of the sight of Rogue and Pietro, who were quite busy making-out.

"Let's leave them alone, Pretty Kitty. We've got an engagement party to plan."

She leaned into her husband in agreence. 

~! ~! ~! ~! ~! ~! ~

FIN

~! ~! ~! ~! ~! ~! ~

That's it! No more! End! Finish! Conclusion! Closing stages! Last part! 

Muse: I think I'm going to cry

Baz: Here's the tissue box.

Muse: There's nothing in there!

Baz: Huh, Kitty must have used them all.

Kitty: HEY!

Baz: Bubbye


End file.
